Sunday, September 07, 2008 Claims vs. firm reach P163M
WITH 15 suits filed against Sulpicio Lines Inc. (SLI) in Cebu as of Friday, the total claims raised against the shipping firm over the mv Princess of the Stars sinking last June 21 reached P163.432 million.
The figure, contained in a consolidated report released by the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) 7, excludes claims for attorney’s fees.
With more forthcoming cases against the company, the amount is expected to grow.
PAO 7 Director Ma. G-Ree Calinawan said families of at least 10 crew members and seven people who worked in shops in the ship are also consolidating a multi-million-peso claim of their own.
Only five days ago, SLI was ordered to pay P23 million in damages to four families who lost loved ones in the September 1998 sinking of the mv Princess of the Orient.
The firm, though, is expected to appeal the ruling.
While SLI posted a P5.74 billion income last year, as reflected in the audited finance statement submitted to the House of Representatives legislative franchise committee, it said it had not realized net profits for several years now.
Losses
The company posted a net loss of P211.46 million in 2007, which is slightly less than its net loss of P229.1 million a year earlier.
So far, the largest claim against the company was for the death of Dennis Anit, which is P50.88 million in actual damages and P800,000 in moral and exemplary damage.
Anit was a seaman working for an international shipping company.
The case was raffled off to the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 10 presided over by Judge Geraldine Faith Econg.
Home-bound
Another large claim totaling P37.2 million is that by Cecenia Sillar and daughter Verly Ann for the death of her husband Aquiles.
Aquiles, also a seaman, earned P130,000 a month. He was on his way home from Manila, where he underwent a medical examination, when tragedy struck.
The case was raffled off to RTC Judge Generosa Labra, who had the case remanded back to the RTC civil division for re-raffling.
Labra was the judge who handled the most recent class suit that four families lodged against Sulpicio over the 1998 Princess of the Orient sinking.
RTC Judge Simeon Dumdum Jr., on the other hand, will hear the P21.5-million suit filed by Rogelyn Escaran against SLI for the death of her husband Ramil, who was also a seaman. (KNR)
